The AHRC Research Network on Microfinance is an explorative network of researchers from different disciplines – philosophy, politics, economics, development studies – as well as practitioners from the microfinance field. Its aim is to develop new ways of looking at issues related to microfinance (more on the aims of the network here…). The network is based at the Centre for the Study of Global Ethics, University of Birmingham and is funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council in the UK.
There will be five meetings of the network in 2009-2010. The final meeting of the network will also involve development agency civil servants. The network is the first in the UK to combine normative ethics and economic and development policy.
Key participants
Principal organizers of the network are Tom Sorell, the PI and Professor of Global Ethics; Andrew Mullineux, Professor of Global Finance; Christine Mallin, Professor of Corporate Governance; Dr Michael Hubbard, Reader in Development Economics; and Dr Joakim Sandberg, Visiting Fellow in Global Ethics.
Other members from Birmingham: Dr A Cabrera, Lecturer in Political Theory, Political Science and International Studies Dept; Dr Paul Jackson, Head of International Development Dept., Dr Victor Murinde, Professor of Development Finance; Dr Rudra Sensarma, Research Fellow in Finance; Dr Ajit Singh, Professor of Economics (joint Cambridge, Birmingham Business School)
Other UK academics: Dr Kimberley Brownlee (Lecturer, Dept. of Politics, University of Manchester); Dr Angus Dawson (Senior Lecturer, Centre for Professional Ethics, Keele University); Prof. Colin Kirkpatrick (Professor of Development Economics at the Institute for Development Policy and Management, University of Manchester); Prof. Cecile Fabre (politics, Edinburgh); Prof. Leif Weinar (Dept. of philosophy, University of Sheffield) Dr Zofia Stempowska (Lecturer, Dept. of Politics, Manchester); Dr. Stuart White (Jesus College, Oxford)
UK NGO sector: Patrick Conaty, formerly New Economics Foundation; Rosalind Copisarow Street, UK; Ed Mayo, Consumer Council
UK Commercial sector: Charles Middleton, Managing Director, Triodos Bank; Steve Walker, Aston Reinvestment Trust
South Asian participants: Shabbir Chowdhury (Head of Microfinance, BRAC –Bangladesh NGO), Shubashish Gangopadhayay, India Development Foundation; Jayadev Madugula, Indian Institute of Mgt; nominee of Grameen Foundation
USA: Michael Sherraden (Professor of Social Development, Washington University, St Louis); Jonathan Morduch, (Professor of Economics, New York University); Prof. David Crocker, (philosophy, University of Maryland)
